Downtown LA is home to numerous world-class athletic teams and venues. You'll find Dodgers Stadium just north of Downtown, at their longtime home in Chavez Ravine. The STAPLES Center in South Park is home to five professional sports franchises, including the NBA's Lakers and Clippers, the NHL's Kings, the AFL's Avengers, and the WNBA's Sparks.

Dodgers Stadium

Since 1962, Dodger Stadium has been the home of the Dodgers Major League Baseball team. The grand stadium overlooks Downtown LA, affording breathtaking views of the Downtown skyline to the south, the green tree-lined hills of Elysian Park to the north and east, and the San Gabriel Mountains beyond the outfield pavilions. Dodgers Stadium has drawn an average of more than 2.79 million fans per season during the past 45 years, and has also been the site of several non-baseball major events - including a mass by Pope John Paul II and concerts by The Beatles, KISS, Elton John, Michael Jackson, U2, Madonna, Luciano Pavarotti and more.

STAPLES Center

The STAPLES Center is home to five professional sports franchises, including the NBA's Lakers and Clippers, the NHL's Kings, the AFL's Avengers, and the WNBA's Sparks. STAPLES Center has also hosted a number of high-profile sporting events, including the 2002 U.S. Figure Skating Championships, the 2002 NHL All-Star game, the 2004 NBA All-Star Game, the innovative ESPN X Games, the WTA Tour Championships, and the NCAA Men's Pacific Life Pac 10 Basketball Championships.

LA Lakers

The Lakers' franchise was founded in 1946 in Detroit, Michigan before moving to Minneapolis, where the team got its official title from the state's nickname, "Land of 10,000 Lakes." The Lakers won five championships before relocating to Los Angeles in the 1960-61 NBA season. As of 2008, the Lakers hold records for having the most wins (2,905), the highest winning percentage (61.5%), the most NBA Finals appearances (29), and the second most NBA championships (with 14, behind the Boston Celtics' 17). 14 Hall of Famers have played for the Lakers, and four more have coached the team.

LA Sparks

One of the eight original WNBA teams, the Los Angeles Sparks was founded in 1997. The Sparks played their inaugural game on June 21, 1997 at the Great Western Forum in Inglewood, CA against the New York Liberty. After 4 seasons at the Forum and posting a 74-48 record, the Sparks relocated to the STAPLES Center in the heart of Downtown LA. The Sparks have a rich history filled with All-Stars, future and current Hall of Famers, and championship basketball. With the retirement of Lisa Leslie, the Sparks embark on a new era led by Candace Parker – and they continue to display why they are the premier WNBA team.

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